Eddie Yue: Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) unveils "Fintech 2030" strategy, focusing on four key areas: data and payment infrastructure, AI, technology resilience, and financial tokenization

On April 1, crypto reporter Eleanor Terrett noted that the pro-cryptocurrency U.S. super PAC Fellowship PAC — established last year — has tapped Jesse Spiro, Tether’s head of regulatory affairs, as its chairman. The first slate of candidate endorsements will be announced in the coming days, aiming to boost support for pro-crypto industry candidates in the midterm elections.

April 1: Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi said, "We don’t accept a ceasefire; instead, we seek an end to the war, assurances that similar aggression won’t happen again, and clarity that only Iran and Oman can decide the future of the Strait of Hormuz."

On April 1, Ripple announced the launch of two enterprise-grade crypto asset management solutions: Digital Asset Accounts and Unified Treasury. These tools enable corporate finance teams to manage both fiat and digital assets on a single platform, supporting direct management of RLUSD, XRP, and other assets. Seamlessly integrated into existing fund management workflows, the system eliminates reliance on separate wallets, exchanges, or custody platforms—lowering adoption barriers for businesses.

On April 1, David I. Miller, Enforcement Director of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), outlined five key focus areas for future CFTC enforcement: insider trading, market manipulation, market abuse, retail fraud, and anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) violations. Miller clarified that CFTC insider trading rules extend to prediction markets—trading on undisclosed material information is illegal and will be “actively investigated and prosecuted.” On the regulatory front, the CFTC emphasized a shift away from an “enforcement-first” approach to prioritizing core illegal conduct like fraud and manipulation. The agency also plans to launch a new cooperation policy offering leniency—even full immunity—to institutions that voluntarily self-audit, cooperate with enforcement probes, and complete full remediation. Additionally, the CFTC will strengthen collaboration with trading platforms and law enforcement agencies, with a focus on combating ene

Per monitoring from PolyBeats, Donald Trump has frequently raised expectations for U.S.-Iran talks lately, claiming he’s been in contact with Iranian officials. Today, he again alleged the Iranian president requested a ceasefire—only to be immediately rebuked by Iran. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated the Strait of Hormuz situation is “firmly under its control” and will not open to the country’s enemies “because of the U.S. president’s absurd antics.” Multiple prediction markets show Trump’s recent verbal comments are no longer effective: - Probability of a U.S.-Iran ceasefire by end-April: Holds at 38% (recent low), signaling markets don’t expect rapid progress. - Probability the Strait of Hormuz stays open to navigation by end-April: Has fallen steadily to 20% (recent low)—Iran controls the strait tightly and has turned it into an economic warfare tool against the U.S. - Probability U.S. ground troops enter Iran by month’s end: Remains high at 55% as

St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said on April 1 that the energy shock tied to the Iran conflict will likely impact overall inflation and could put upward pressure on core prices. “I expect commodity price increases to feed one-for-one into overall inflation, pushing it higher for a period,” Bullard noted. “Core inflation will also face some upward pressure, and I’ll closely monitor the extent of pass-through and the correlation between the two measures.” (Source: FXStreet)